News Item

State Website Under Attack 'Almost On A Daily Basis'

Massachusetts residents can now use the state's website to do nearly all of their government business online.

The
convenience makes life easier for drivers and taxpayers, but not for
those trying to protect that personal information from hackers.

How widespread is the threat?

In
February, hackers under the guise of a group called Anonymous launched a
Denial-of-Service attack against the Boston Police Department's news
website.

People trying to log in to the site saw an anti-cop rap video instead.

"I
would classify that as 'Hacktivism'," said Roel Schouwenberg, a senior
analyst with Kaspersky Lab in Woburn. "In this case, there was no
financial gain. It basically was an online form of protest."

"Anonymous"
claimed the attack was in retaliation for the police eviction of Occupy
Boston protesters last December. But it also was viewed as a very
public challenge to anyone responsible for government websites.

"We are moving into an era where it's no longer a question of if you're getting compromised, but when," Schouwenberg said.

Verizon
recently declared 2011 as the Year of the Hacktivist because, for the
first time, the primary motivation of most cybercriminals was protest,
not financial gain.